The black-hooded laughingthrush is a species of bird in the family Leiothrichidae. It is found in Laos and Vietnam. Its natural habitats are subtropical or tropical moist lowland forests and subtropical or tropical moist montane forests. It is threatened by habitat loss.
Region
Indochina (Laos and Vietnam)
Typical Environment
Occurs in the Annamite Range and adjacent foothills of central and southern Vietnam and eastern Laos. It inhabits subtropical and tropical moist lowland and montane forests, favoring dense understory and bamboo thickets. Birds often use secondary growth, forest edges, and scrub near intact forest. It remains largely tied to well-vegetated slopes and ravines where cover is abundant.
Altitude Range
Sea level to 2200 m
Climate Zone
Tropical
Ease of Keeping
Beginner friendly: 2/5
A shy understory bird of the Annamite forests, the black-hooded laughingthrush is more often heard than seen, delivering a chorus of chuckling, laughing notes. It moves in small, noisy parties that glean insects and pick fruit in dense foliage. Ongoing forest loss and fragmentation in Laos and Vietnam threaten its preferred habitat.
Temperament
social and active
Flight Pattern
short rapid wingbeats
Social Behavior
Typically travels in small, cohesive groups that keep contact with frequent calls. Pairs likely maintain territories during breeding while remaining loosely associated with nearby groups. Nests are cup-shaped and placed low to mid-level in dense shrubs or bamboo, with both parents involved in care.
Migratory Pattern
Resident
Song Description
A rich, chuckling series of laughing notes interspersed with whistles and chatters. Groups often vocalize together, creating a lively chorus that carries through the forest.
Plumage
Smooth, dark hood covering the head and throat, contrasting with a slate-gray to ashy-gray body and paler underparts. Wings and tail are slightly darker with subtle, diffuse edging. Feathers appear sleek and unpatterned, giving a clean, uniform look except for the sharp hood contrast.
Diet
Takes a varied diet of insects, spiders, and other small invertebrates, gleaned from leaves and twigs. Also consumes berries and small fruits, especially in the non-breeding season. Will opportunistically pick seeds and soft plant matter when available.
Preferred Environment
Forages in the understory and mid-story of dense forest, along edges, and in secondary growth. Often joins mixed-species flocks, moving methodically through foliage and occasionally descending to the ground to probe leaf litter.
